Sealing of rotary valves



Sept. 28, 1943. c. w. P. Hl-:YLANDT 'r-:r AL 25330583 l SEALING 0F ROTARY VALVES Filed Dec. 26, 1940 BY m Zheir/IZZorlzey.

Patented Sept. 28, 1943 .sTArEsr-i,

A2,330,583 e sEALING oF no'rAnY VALVES Christian Wilhelm Paul Heylandt, Rudolf Mey-res. and Albert Pomutz, Berlin-Britz, and Alfred Baer, Berlin-.Schmargendorf, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian f Application December 26, 1,94), Serial No.371 ,802 l In Germany .lune y1'?, 1939` l.

(Cl. 12S-190) 12 Claims.

This invention relates generally tosealing instrumentalitie-s for engines equipped with rotary valves, and particularly to sealing means adapted to perform the double function of airtightly sealing the space between two structural telescoping elements, while at the same time tensionally suspending oneY element` within, and forcing it against the other element.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide combination sealing and suspension means for an engine construction having individual engine cylinders and rotary intake and exhaust controlling valves within their detachable heads, at least one valve for each cylinder, said valves being aligned with one another and being disposed in parallel relation to the crankshaft of the engine, and being seated or, journaled in a combination seat, the upper seat portion of which is stationary and located in the substantially closed top end of the cylinderhead, whereas its corresponding seat portion is mobile, beinCf arranged in a movable member, the latter being operatively mounted within and telescoping with the body of the head; and wherein said combination sealing and suspension means physix cally connect the movable member with the head body and simultaneously provide an airtight joint between the two head elements', thereby sealing the space between them, said combination means also serving for forcibly urging the movable member towards the xed valve seat provided in the head top. f

Another object of the present invention is to provide combination sealing` and suspension means between the head and a movable member therewithin, both instrumentalities being equipped with seat portions forv rotary engine control valves, and wherein said` combination means vconstitute a substantially ring-shaped diaphragm, the inner and outer edges of which are airtightly connected with the movable member and the head body, respectively, and wherein said diaphragm is constructed and arranged to exert a yieldable pressure againstlthe movable member for constantly` urging it against the iixed upper valve seat portion, to assure an airtight contact between the valve and its .seat bearings, irrespective of the dimensionalchanges to vwhich the several'parts are subjected in consequence of thermal fluctuations Within the engme.

Still another object of this invention-is toprovide the aforesaid combination sealing and suspension means in the form of al plurality-,of superimposed, thin, smooth, ring-shaped diapnragms, the individua thickness of which die; phragmsranges between .05 to .1 per cent of the diameter of thebylinder bore, and which combined diaphragms are capable of a vb ody movement-ranging from .5 tov2.r.\ercentfofV the cylinder bore, whereby the required movement, as well as the Ypressure of the diaphragm structure ragainst the aioresaidvmovablemember may be determined. n

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination sealingand suspension means between a movable member and a cylinder headv in the form` of superimposed diaphragms, the inner and outer edges of which latter are being held in sealing contact with these two headelements by means of tightening rings, and wherein the total thickness of such diaphragms for cylinders of diameters notY exceeding 100 mm. ranges from .5 to 1 mm., and for cylinders having abore diameter not exceeding 150 mm. the total thick-ness of` the diaphragms varies between .5 to 1.5mm. v f

l Another object ofthe present invention is to provide combination sealing and` suspension means Withina cylinder head for the support of a movable element withinthe head, and whereinl the movable element; and said combination sealing and suspension means completely fill the space-directly above the `upper edge of the cylinder, whereby the compression-space for the engine cylinder is defined below theupper cylinder edge, in consequence whereof the ignition means for the cylinder are also, disposed below the upper cylinder edge.-

Another object of-.this invention is to provide combination sealing and'` resilient suspension means for engines with removable cylinder heads, having a rotary valve journaled partially in iixed and partially in mobile seat portions arranged, respectively, in the upper head end and ina movable element operative within a cavity provided in the head, and wherein the cavity, the movable member and the combination sealing and suspension means for the vmovable memberyare inclined relative to the upper edge of the, cylinder, thereby providing, within the head bodyand above the upper cylinder edge, a substantially wedge-shaped compression and com- .bustionspace forfthe engine, and wherein the ignition means for the engine are placed into the headbody and project into the Widest portion of the-compression space. Y

In devices for sealingcircular spaces between twovxed and movable annuli, corrugated diaphragms often havebeen employed.r ,Such diaphragms, when intended to exert pressure against one cf the annuli, are very difficult to adjust, especially when their intended travel or movement is to be very short. Slightest inaccuracies in adjustments, amounting to but a fraction of a tenth of a millimeter, may thus cause an excessive or an inadequate pressure. Moreover, in addition to the difliculty of correctly adjusting corrugated diaphragms, their elasticity suffers considerably due to their being exposed to varying temperatures. Furthermore, the excessive movement of such diaphragrns tends to weaken the connection between their edges and the annuli, thereby causing leakage.

Diaphragms of relatively smooth, simple, ringshaped designs have been found preferable when intended to serve as combination seal and resilient support for a movable member within a cylinder head. They provide dependable airtight seals along their inner and outer edges, when pressed against suitable seating ledges arranged inthe head and in the movable member by appropriately designed detachable fastening means.

The foregoing features aswell as additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating presently preferred forms for explanatory purposes only, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through one embodiment of the present' invention, showing the upper portion of a cylinder with a removable cylinder head;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, shown in section, of a combination sealing and suspension means employed in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical, fragmental cross sectional View through a modified form of our invention.V

Referring now more specically to Figs. 1 and 2, numeral I denotes a Water-cooled cylinder body of an engine, in which operates a piston 2. Removably secured to the upper end of the cylinder, and sealed against it in the usual manner, is a water-cooled head 3, provided With a port 3' and a fixed valve seat 3 for a rotary valve member 4. The latter is equipped with a through passage 5, adapted, when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. l, to register with the interior terminus of port 3 of the head body. Rotary valve 4 is of hollow construction so as to provide passages 6 for circulating a cooling medium therein. The lower portion of valve 4 is seated within movable member 'I provided with a mobile valve seat portion I and. a port or opening 1". This movable member isl telescopingly arranged within the body of head 3 and is supported within the latter by combination sealing and supporting means' indicated at 8. The latter comprise a plurality of superimposed, simple, ring-shaped, dished diaphragms, which are seated with their substantially horizontally flattened ledges against annular ledges 8 and 8" provided, respectively, in the head body and m'ovable member 'I, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The flattened edges or flanges of the diaphragme are oset in respect to each other at different planes, so that the diaphragms supply the necessary spring tension required of them.

The inner peripheral edge of multiple diaphragm 8 is locked in `sealing contact with ledge 8" by means of an internally threaded ring 9. The outer diaphragm edge is held against ledge 8' by thrust ring ID, which is seated with its lower face against cylinder I and is pressed against the latter by the head body. Movable member 'I and rings 9 and ID completely ll the cavity provided for that member in cylinder head 3, since rings 9 and I0 completely take up the space in the recesses provided for them in the movable member and in the head body respectively. Due to this arrangement the lower surfaces of the rings 9 and I are substantially aligned with the lower surface of movable member l, and form extensions of the latter. Thus a substantially continuous unbroken ceiling for the engine combustion chamber is provided, which is void of any undesired crevices likely to alter the predetermined size or volume of the compression space. The latter, in the design shown in Fig. 1, is necessarily located Within the body of the cylinder and below the upper cylinder edge, as indicated at i I. Projecting into this compression chamber is a spark plug I2, also located below the upper cylinder edge.

As stated before, the body of valve 4, as well as the head body and the cylinder walls are arranged to be artificially cooled, for which purpose their structures are hollow. Water legs I3 are indicated in the head structure and spaces I4 are shown in the cylinder. Due to the fact that the bottom end of movable member l, forming the upper limit of the compression or cornbustion chamber, coincides with the upper cylinder edge, it becomes necessary, in order to change the compression ratio of the engine, to either elevate or depress the crown of the piston, as the case may be.

Referring again to detail Fig. 2, movable member 'I is sufficiently. spaced from the wall of the head cavity to assure its unrestricted movement. Diaphragms 8 are intended to not only hermetically seal the space between movable member I and head 3, but are also designed for yieldably supporting member 'I in respect to the head. They exert a sufficient pressure against the movable member to forcibly urge it towards the closed upper end of the head, whereby valve 4 is kept in intimate contact both with its upper xed seat 3 Within the head and its mobile seat 1 provided in movable member 1. The predetermined pressure exerted by diaphragms 8 is constant while the engine is cold; however it increases slightly when the engine parts are heated when the engine is in operation. This increase in tension is accompanied by a minute travel of the inner edge of the diaphragm in outward direction, due to the expansion of the valve structure following an increase in temperature. This travel is indicated at X in Fig. 2.

Valve 4 is intended to control both the intake as well as the exhaust of cylinder I. The rotary axis of the valve is disposed parallelly in respect to the crank-shaft of the engine. At least one control valve is provided for one cylinder. In a multiple cylinder engine all the valves are intended to be aligned with each other and their axis of rotation is to be parallel withthe axis of rotation of the engine crank-shaft. The amount of pressure exerted by diaphragme 8 against movable member I may be readily changedby either decreasing or increasing the number of the diaphragm ring elements. which latter are purposely designed to form smooth and simple structures, adapted to be easily fitted into one another.

In the modied form illustrated in Fig. 3, the underlying principle of the combination sealing and supporting means employed between the headfa'nd fthe' "movable ,member remains l.the same. Onv the other hand Athe construction ofvhead I5 is somewhat diiferentlinfthatthe cavityl I6?` provided vtherein for the reception of movable member I'I is inclinedfin respect to the upper edge of cylinder I. In lconsequ :1'lce thereof movable member I 'I is also inclined, as well as is the com# binationsealing and` supporting means.: The latter again consist of a diaphragm 8, composed of a plurality "of ring-shaped units, .andisseated with its outer peripheral edge against lannular ledge Bfrecessed in thefhead body; but wherein thrust ring Iiloffliigs; ltand 2^is1replacedby a threaded sleeve I 8, `engaging a correspondingly threaded portion provided inv the cylinder head. The inner edge of diaphragm 8 is held against ledge 8", provided in'movable member Il, by lock ring or nut Si. 1'

, Inv thisconstruction thezbottom face of member Il isfsomewhat dished, as indicated at I9, and forms the upper end of combustionchamber 2S, now located in the cylinder head.` This chamber is of la substantially.wedge-shaped'cross section. fInto the widest or :highest portion: of the chamber extendsthe end of -ignitionnmeans 2l in the form of a removable spark plug. When combustion takes place the ignited `gases are forced to, travel inthe directiongfromthe `spark plug'towards the steadily diminishingspacefopposite'the spark plug,iand thereby grow` progres- I sively cooler during their travel. Through the arrangement of the, tapered combustion chamber design and the aforesaid location of thespark plug opposite thediminishing-area of the chameber, highly beneficial ccinbustionresults` are ob- .Y

tained. One of the Vadvantagesl noted is the diminishing of what is known fas `the knock accompanying the explosionof combustiongases. This phenomenon isdirectly traceable to thefact that tbe coolest portionof the combustedL mixture is at a point farthest awayv from the spark plug, and this farthest part of combustibles is ignited latest and has `diminishedin volume.

In reducing the` presentinvention, to practice, it has. been found thatbestresults are obtained when the thickness of the individual diaphragm members ranges from .05 to .1 per cent of the cylinder diameter, that the combinedy thickness of the diaphragm members for cylindershaving a bore not exceeding 100 mm. should range from between .5 to 1 mm., and for borescnot exceeding 150 mm. in diameter the total thickness for the diaphragm members should vary from .5 to 1.5 mm., and that in order to assure the required pressure of the diaphragms against the movable member, their design should allow for a bodily movement ranging from .15 to 2 per cent of the bore diameter.

While in the accompanying drawing only two speciic forms of the combined sealing and suspension means are illustrated, the entire control valve structure as well as the structure of said combination means may require altera-tions and improvements when applied to specific engine designs, and we therefore reserve for ourselves the right to make changes and improvements therein, without departing from the broad scope of our invention, as dened in the annexed claims.

We claim:

1. In a movable sealing instrumentality for rotary valve structures of engines, including a rotary valve operating between fixed and movable working surfaces ror seat portions provided respectively in the engine head, and a movable v tion rr'zhamberis assured.

member` operative therewithin annular,r resilient sealing? .means `'connecting they head lbedyj with themovablemember, and being. constructed and arranged l' tornot.. only.- seal the space. between them but toY forcibly urge the: movable member againstthe head;- removable retaining,` means-for xedly.'holding the outer and` inner peripheral edges of said-sealing -meansagainst; said head body.and.said-1movable,memberrespectively said retainingv means and saidflmovable membercompletely fillinglthe'.cavityprovided fordthatmem-` .I

ber in the head body,` lwhereby a continuous un,- broken sealing surface for the engine combus- 2; In a-movablesealing instrumentality asset forth in claim 1', said annular: sealing `means comprising a multiple, ring-shaped dishedfdiaphragm, havingv flattened `peripheral .edges disposediin' different planes. i Y

'3. In amovable SeaIinginstrumentaIity asV set forth inxclaim 1, vsaidA annular sealingmeans comprising `a.' multiple, ring-shaped dished diaphragm. having substantially horizontally flattened: peripheral edges disposed? in diierent planes, annular ledges erseating surfaces pro.-v videdin saidfhead body and seidmovable member'r for accommodating respectively thev outer andinner iiattened edges ofthe diaphragm, said retaining means securely holding these flattened edges: against their respective. seating surfaces solas to provide leakproof:connections.;y

Inwa movable'isealinginstrumentality as set forthin claimv 1, ,said lannular sealing means comprising a plurality of ring-shaped superimposed diaphragms, placed with their outer'and vinner peripheral edges against ,corresponding f seating surfaces provided Vin, ydifferent planes in said headandsaid movable member, and means -forbrcing .these `redges intoisealing contactwith their. respective seatingy surfacesvthe thickness of saidfdiaphragms ranging iromi/ GS to .11 per cent of thediameterci the engine bore. 5. In ,a vmovable.sealing instrumentality asset forth .in clain` 1,; sadwannular2 sealing means comprising af, plurality. of ring-shaped ,superimf posed'diaphragmaplaced with. their Outer and inner peripheral wedges against. corresponding seating v surfaces provided@ in. diierentplanes in saidV head;- andi said movable; member, and means for forcinggythese'edges` into sealing. contact `with their respective seating surfaces; the thickness of said diaphragms ranging from .05 to .l per cent of the diameter of the engine bore, said dia'- pliragms being so constructed and arranged that their intended bodily movement ranges from .5 to 2 per cent of the engine bore diameter.

6. In a movable sealing instrumentality as set forth in claim l, said annular sealing means comprising a plurality of ring-shaped superimposed v diaphragms, placed with their outer and inner peripheral edges against corresponding seating surfaces provided in diierent planes in said head and said movable member, and means for forcing theser edges into sealing contact with their respective seating surfaces, the thickness of said diaphragme ranging from .05 to .1 per cent of the diameter of the engine bore, said diaphragms being so constructed and arranged that their intendedr bodily movement ranges from k.5 to 2 per cent of the engine bore diameter, the total thickness of said diaphragms for engine bore diameters not exceeding millimeters ranging from .5 to 1.5 millimeters.

7. The combination with a hollow removable head associated with an engine cylinder, and

housing a rotaryintake and exhaust control valve in bearings having fixed and movable valve seat portions arranged in the head body and in a movable member operative within the head, of a multi-layer rng-shaped resilient diaphragm in sealing contact with said head and said movable member, and so connecting the two instrumentalities as vto forcibly urge the movable member against the head, thereby yieldably suspending said member within. the head, said diaphragm having outer and inner peripheral flattened flanges, disposed in two planes distanced from one another. i

8. The combination as set forth in claim '7, and

means for providing said sealing contact and said connection for the diaphragm with the head and the movable member.

9. The combination as set forth in claim '7, and means for providing said sealing contact and said connection for the diaphragm with the head and the movable member, said means consisting of two annuli adapted to press the inner and outer edges of the diaphragm against the bodies of the movable member and of the head, one of the said annuli forming an internally threaded ring in engagement with an external thread provided at the recessed end of the movable member, both annuli completely lling the recesses provided for them so that their exterior or exposed surfaces form an unbroken continuation of the adjoining exposed surface of the movable member, the combined exposed surfaces formingr the ceiling for the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder,

10. The combination as set forth in claim 7, and means for providing said sealing contact and said connection for the diaphragm with the head and the movable member, said means consisting of two annuli adapted to press the inner and outer edges of the diaphragm against the bodies of the movable member and of the head, the annulus for the head comprising a ring seated upon the top end of the engine cylinder and being held against the outer edge of diaphragm by the head body, both annuli completely filling the recesses provided for them so that their exterior or exposed surfaces form an unbroken continuation of the adjoining exposed surface of the movable member, thecombined exposed surfaces forming the ceiling for the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder.

11.,The combination as` set forth in claim 7, and means for providing said sealing contact and said connection for the diaphragm with the head and the movable member, said means consisting of two annuli adapted to press the inner and outer edges of the diaphragm against the bodies of the movable member and of the head, the annuli comprising threaded rings engaging correspondingly threaded portions provided in the movable member and the head body,both annuli completely filling the recesses provided for them so that their exterior or exposed surfaces form an unbroken continuation of the adjoining exposed surface of the movable member, the combined exposed surfaces forming the ceiling for the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder.

12. In an engine construction provided with combination sealing and suspension means for a seat member for a rotary valve, a cylinder, a removably mounted head having 'a closed upper end, a cavity in the head opening towards the cylinder bore, a movable member in said cavity, a rotary intake and exhaust control valve journaled in the'head, a xed valve seat portion provided within the closed head end, a movable valve seat portion arranged in the movable member, a resilient multi-layer ring-shaped diaphragm with oiset peripheral, xedly held flanges yieldably suspending the movable member within the head cavity and forcing it against the fixed valve seat and simultantously sealing the space between the head body and the movable member, diaphragm retaining means holding the diaphragm by its peripheral edges in sealing contact with the head and said movable member, the movable member'and said retaining means wholly filling the 4space above the upper edge of the cylinder to which the head is attached, the exposed surfaces of said retaining means and of said movable member forming continuations of one another in a substantially unbroken plane, and form the ceiling of the combustion chamber, thereby locating the compressionspace 'of the engine below the upper cylinder edge, and ignition means providedv in the cylinder body below the head.

CHRISTIAN WILHELM PAUL HEYLANDT. RUDOLF MEWES.

ALBERT POMUTZ.

ALFRED BAER. 

